Depulpating-machine.



A TERESA.

DEPULPATING MACHINE.

CANON FILED 11311.16, 1913.

APPLI Patented Nov. 18,1913

'7 SHEETrl-SHEET 1 NVENTOH Anlonio Teresa WITNESSES A. TERESA.

DEPULPATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 'AN. 1e, 1913` 1,079, 1 96. Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

I w/r/vfssfs W IN1/5mm@ ,4,0 ULM/LA W2 AnJromo Tereaa A. TERESA.

IIEPULPATLNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 113, 1913.

1,0?9 ,1 961 Patented Nov. 18, 1913 7 SHEETS-SHEET 4,

A. TERESA.

DEPULPATING MAGHTNE.

APfLmATloN PILLDJAN.1G,1Q13.

1,079,196, Patented "Nov, 18, 1913.

7 SHEETSSHEET 5.

tIX)

RNEYS 'ofSan Luis'Potosi. i u Potosi and Republic of Mexico, have iii-- um'run .a'iafraa PATENT onirica.

WY'SETS, AND ROBERT Sixeceation of Letters Patent.

Application flied January l, P313. Serial-rife. 76.2523@ To'aZZ" whom t may concern;

' Be it known that I, ANTONIO TERESA, a subject of Ehe-King I in the State of San Luis vvented a new and. Improved lepulpating- Machine= of which the following is a full.- clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to machinery fori opfrating'upon fibrous or textile plants. andi has-particular reference to means i'or da pulpat'lng Vfibrous leaves of tropical or Semi tlloaical2 plants, whereby the fleshy or meaty body portion of the lcavcs is rcinoved from the h'orous portions as distinguished Eroi-o decrticating 'niaclflnea` which are employed 'for removiig the bark, skin, hull or rind v*from objects.

mong the objc/cts of this invention is to construct a machine of the character indicated which is of a much more llcxilolc and universal adaptation foro'pcration upon varioustfypes or lengths of leaves than niachines heretofore proposed.

Another object of this invention is to im prove the means whereinr the loaves may he fed or delivered to the machine and then acted upon by the machine in a continuous manner, 'one end of each leaf heine stripped or depulpated and then subsequently, as the leaf progresses through the Ainachii'ie9 the other end being treated.

The invention' also includes numerous de tails of constructionE whereby the cliieicncy and general utility of the machine are greatly enhanced.

The foregoing and' other objects ol. the invel'ition will hereinafter loe more fully dcscribed and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in Which- Figurcl is a vertical longitudinal section of a prefcrred embodiment of this machine, taken substantially on the broken line 1-1 of Fig. 2;1} `ig; 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section suhstantially on the line 3-3 of Figi; Fig. 4 is a'rear elevation Fig. 5 is a vertical transversc section substantially on the line' 5-5 of Fig. 1, looking toward tlierear; Fig. (3 is u partial vertical section indicating a varia,- tlon' in adaptation of the r'nachinc3 the aocof Spain, and a resident iion being' though ta u on the line Fr of l, looking toward the arrow; Figs. 7 and are details oi construction of the depulpaiing aprons; Fig. 9 a Side elevation of the presser mechanism; Fig, l() is a plan View of an adjacent pair ci dcpulpatlng apron plates; il, i2, 'i3 and l@ are rcpreiscntations. of various forms of gripper chains and means for sulii'iorting 'thc' saine; azul Figs. l5, l@ and 17 arc rospcctively sido, and plan views of a modified form oi which may ne ued in connection with ulpaiing aprons.

"The several parts of 'the machine may he m ne oi any suitable materials and the rela tive sizes and proportions-as well the grou oral dosi thcroo inafy he varied to con aidcralilc nona,v departing from the spirit of invention hereinafter claimed.

Referring nuire particularly to the drawings' Show a framework of any suitable na ture including a base i0*7 a plurality of auhstantially rectangular vertical members li., l2 and ,i3 and any siiit-ahle,iiu1nber of auxiliary tranavcrse and longitudinal braces including bridge l/l occupying a* auoatann tiallj,r mid position transversely and longitudinaliy, l

it f5 is; indicaled a feeding table at 'the front of the machine upon and along which the loaves are fed in a transverse direction al@ indicated at L on Fig. 2. Said table is aupportcd upon the main frainc by moans of lnacliuts lo and braces 17. ,it the liront ends oi the o li'cts lt) is.; joui-nailed a shall; in having; thermo a @cries of Sprocket wheels; 'L9 .lust in the roar of the feeding table is joufnaled u transvcrac shaft 20, and upon this shaft are mounted a series of sprocket whoelc il corrcsponding to the aforcaaid wheels lil. A conveyor chain 22 operates over cach pair of whoa-la 19 and 21, the upperrons of the chaiiia opcmting over thc .table 15 and rocclviiig the .Lewes as they are ligaficnted Nov. 1S, @93.13.

operates an auxiliary conveyer chain 30, the

further treated by the continuous operation the front portion of the machine a pair of 1n the plane of the feeding table, whereby mounted respectivel wheels 37 and 38 mounted respectively upon lnally pressed downwardly toward the shaft pair of endless members in tlle'rear portion transverse shaft 26 substantially parallel to the shaft 2O is journaled in the main frame and is adapted for a. limited amount of vertical movement above said shaft 20. The shaft 26, however, is forced downwardly in proper operative relation to said shaft 20 by means of spring cushions 27. The shaft 26 is maintained in proper position with re- Spect to the length of the machine by means 10 of downwardly projecting auxiliary brackets 28. On this shaft 26 are mounted a plurality of'sprocket wheels 29 which are directly in the rear of the respective wheels 24 and over each pair of wheels 24 and 29 in Fig. 2. The chain 46 is mounted upon a pair of wheels 48 and 49 mounted respectively upon the shaft 35 and a shaft 50 journaled transversely at the rear end of the frame. Likewise the belt 47 is mounted 70 upon a pair of flanged wheels 51 and 52 mounted respectively upon the shaft 39 and a shaft 53 journaled at the rear of the machine above and parallel to the shaft 50. The shafts 50 and 53 are connected for si- 75 multaneous rotation iny opposite directions by a pair of gears 54 and 55. Power from the main shaft 42 is transmitted to the gripper and conveyer mechanisms in the following manner: A worm 56 connected to said 30 shaft 42 meshes with and rotates at slow speed a worm 57 mounted upon a transverse shaft 58 in front of but parallel to the shaft 50. A chain 59 operating over a pair of sprocket wheels 60 and 61 on the shafts 58 g5 and 50 respectively transmits the power from the shaft 58 to the shaft 50, whereby the shafts 50 and 53 and gripper chain wheels connected thereto are operated positively. In order, however, for the driving 90 power to be transmitted positively throughout the machine, I prefer to provide a sprocket chain connection at 62 between -a lower run of which coperates directly with one of the aforesaid chains 22, whereby the leaves received upon the chains 22 are posi` tively carried rearwardly into position to be of the machine.

Extending longitudinally and substantially central of the machine is a gripper mechanism. This mechanism comprises in grippcr'chains or link belts 31 and 32. This pair of belts coperate in a vertical plane one above the other and have adjacent runs in practically substantially close contact and same shaft is another wheel 65 which transmits the power of said shaft through a sprocket chain 66 to a front sprocket wheel 67 mounted on the shaft 26. The rotation of the shafts 2O and 26 as herein described 100 from the gripper mechanism insures satisfactory operation of the conveyer mechamsm.

they receive and hold between them the leaves as they are delivered thereto by the conveyer chains 22 and 30. The chain 31 operates over a pair of wheels 33 and 34 upon the shaft 20 and a short transverse shaft 35 supported upon bearings 36 extending upwardly from the middle of the bridge 14. The other chain 32 is similarly supported upon a pair of per belt chains 1s supported by any sultable 105 the shaft 26 and a transverse shaft 39 parallel to thc shaft 35 and movable verticallyv with respect thereto within downwardly proextending bearings A69 supported upon the Jecting brackets 40. Said shaft 39 is norbridge 14. The lower runs of the upper gripper belts are likewise resiliently pressed 11o downward into coperation with the lower belts by means of a series of idlers 70 mount-` ed in boxes 71 having elastic connection through springs 72 with brackets 73 suspended from the top frame. By virtue of the several flexible supports for the uppc'` portions of the gripper and conveyer mechanisms, the machine readily adapts itself to various thicknesses of leaves or material operated upon.

The depulpating mechanism proper comprises a pair of aprons 74 and 75, the one acting toward thc right as viewed from the front of the machine, and the other acting at the rear end of the machine toward the 125 left, the direction of operation of the several parts being indicated by arrows on Fig. 2. Each apron is made up in any suitable length by means of a pluralit of parallel plates 76 connected togethr y means of 35 by virtue of spring cushions 41.

The numeral 42 indicates the main power shaft journaled adjacent the lower portion and longitudinally of the machine in bear- 50 ings 43. The shaft is adapted to be operated from any suitable outside power transmitted thereto through a fixed pulley 44 adjacent which is arranged a loose pulley 45.

Said gripper mechanism also includes a of the machine, shown in this instance as comprising a lower chain or link belt 46 and an upper cooperating belt 47 made pref` erably of rubber or so-me suitable composi4 60 tion of metal, rubber or fabric. These gripper members 46 and 47 coperate with each other in a manner similar to the belts 31 and 32 but in a plane slightly offset laterally from the plane of th'e first pair of gripper 65 belts but parallel thereto, as indicated best 2. In a machine of the class set forth, the combination of depulpating mechanism including a plurality of teeth, means to support and operate said teeth in a certain di a `presser mechanism including an belt arranged over and in close relation to said teeth, said belt being movable in a direction transverse to the movement of the teeth, and tightening means for said belt, substantially as set forth.

3. In a depulpating machine,the combination of a series of teeth of varying lengths operating in a plane parallel to one another in a certain direction, means 'to support and operate said teeth, a presser mechanism including an endless belt, the lower run of which is in a plane closely adjacent and parallel to the aforesaid plane, the belt operating idly in its plane 1n a direction transverse to the movement of the teeth, and

an automatically operating tension device to maintain the lower run of said belt substanacross said frame with ti=ally parallelto all the points of the series of teeth.

4. In a `depulpating machine, the combination of a frame having removable side sections, auxiliary frame sections adapted to be secured to the frame, depulpating mechanism including an endless apron movable one portion adjacent said side sections and of variable length, said auxiliary frame sections being adapted ance with its alteration in length, and means ANTONIO TERESA.

the apron from VVitnesses:

Gao. L. BEELER, PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs. 

